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69 - Kennedy“Are you sitting with us today Luna?” Danny doesn’t let me linger too long with Bennet.“I guess so.” I shrug. I know Ryker said he wanted me with him at meals last night, but I wasn’t sure if that was an invitation or a demand or just to get me to talk to him.“Perfect!” Danny wraps his arm around me and I giggle as we start walking. Naturally, Ryker growls at him and he ignores it.I’m sure they’re having a conversation over the mindlink, but for the first time it doesn’t bother me. I know Danny is giving him a hard time about me and I’m okay with it. What I’m really interested to see is how Ryker acts with me in front of his pack members. He was unsure and timid last night, but that is not how this Alpha is with his pack members. So far he’s made it clear I’m not important and for the most part I am ignored and left alone. There are only a few females who actively give me dirty looks, but that is as far as they have gone.I stiffen as we enter the breakfast room and
70 - KennedyIt’s official. I’m in the twilight zone. Yesterday I was hiding out in the packhouse avoiding everyone because I wasn’t sure who was allowed to talk to me and who would be punished if I even looked in their direction and bored out of my mind to wanting to get a portable electric fence to set a perimeter around myself for personal space.Danny and Bennet are so far up my ass, I’m sure we will fuse as one soon. I have only gone from the library to the bathroom. We have even had lunch here. Bennet was nice enough to start a small fire in the fireplace for me. I’m not freezing, but the little bit of warmths is comforting and the sound is a great background noise for us.I look over my shoulder to the black leather couch in the library. “Don’t you have an actual job to do?” I ask Danny who is flipping through a magazine, humming through his nose. He sounds like a kazoo. “I figured as the ‘lead warrior’ you should be leading something.”“Not when I need to get to know my Luna
71 - RykerI meet up with Josh who comes up from the South side of the reported attack. Danny took the East flank and I should see him soon across from me. We have corralled the five rogues who attacked a group of our teens running practice patrols. There is another layer of wolves waiting in the tree line behind us. I want at least one to question, but I won’t be sorry if they all die here right now.The fact that they got close enough to hit that line has my wolf and I raging. Our patrols are flawless and layered in a way that shouldn’t be predictable unless you know how we organize them. It wouldn’t be the first time a wolf from an acquired pack tries to bring us down from the inside, but now that an innocent pup has been injured, badly, these motherf*ckers are going down painfully.I haven’t seen the pup yet, but from what I heard he’s in bad shape. At least three of them were attacking him when his friends stepped in and called us. If the surrounding snow is anything to go by
72 - RykerWe move straight to my room, there is no question of her being alone now, or ever really. Not after last night and waking up with her this morning. We can’t be apart from her. My wolf is whimpering at her fragile state and I struggle to ignore him. I have to help her and he is powerless to do anything.“Remove her clothes Alpha.” Our lead healer calls out as she walks into the room. “You need to get her warm. Under the covers, now.”I don’t even hesitate. Bennet moves to help but my wolf lets out a snarl. He’s still convinced there is something romantic going on between them. He looks hurt, but I can’t focus on that right now.“Greta, help please.” She jumps in without a word. All of our focus has to be on keeping her alive right now. “What else can I do?” I look at the healer.“It would be helpful and makes things go faster if she was marked.”“NO! We still don’t know if it will hurt her. I don’t want to make things worse.” I slide into my bed, while the healer an
73 - KennedyMy head is pounding. Did I drink last night? No, I don’t think I’ve had anything since I moved. My eyes are so heavy, I want to open them, but they are glued shut. I am so comfortable though, I may not move for a little while longer. The darkness is calling my name. Just a few more minutes. I take a deep breath and sink into the soft blanket wrapped around me.The next time I’m conscious I feel tingles everywhere. “Hey, little lamb. Can you hear me?”“Mmhmm?” I know that low rumbling voice, and shouldn’t like it as much as I do. But, I don’t remember why I think that. I take another deep breath. His rosemary and mint scent surrounds me. He shouldn’t be here with me. Another breath. Maybe I’m still dreaming. He wants someone like Amy, not me. Breathe in, breathe out. It’s so nice.“Kennedy?”“What?” I whisper out. My voice sounds like gravel.He chuckles low, so close to my ear I get goosebumps as a shiver wracks my body. “Open those eyes for me, beautiful.”I whine.
74 - KennedyI don’t really understand the change, but I’m also not going to complain. Ever since they found me in the forest almost frozen to death, Ryker and Bennet have come to some kind of understanding. I’m still not alone…ever. That would be too much to ask. But I have started training with Greta again. It’s too f*cking cold outside for my thin skin, but I do get to go to the gym at the training center. I hadn’t realized I had lost so much weight and muscle until she kicked my ass and then made fun of me for it. I can feel myself getting stronger everyday though and that is helping with my mood.I have also gotten completely caught up with classes and I’m ready to start a light load of business courses so I can follow in my parent’s and Aunt Beth’s footsteps. Being so far away from my mom’s studio, and being in the center of the largest wolf pack I know of, I won’t be training any humans any time soon. But, I know that The main source of income is construction and buildin
75 - KennedyThey are all just staring at me and this is what I hate the most. The pity in their eyes. There is nothing any of us could have done differently. That much I have come to accept. The situation is what it is. The only part I seem to struggle with is the memory of sitting there, trapped, with my parents' lifeless bodies.I take a deep breath and Ryker pulls me even closer. I just noticed that he is holding me, in public, and I don’t feel uncomfortable at all.“It was more than three years ago. I’m not saying it doesn’t hurt sometimes, but I can’t play the victim forever. The nightmares have gotten better, which makes things easier for me.” I look up at Ryker as the revelation hits me. My nightmares got better when I moved here. Even at my lowest with him, they didn’t return. I wonder if he noticed the change too?“What?” He pulls back to look me full in the face.“I’m not sure.” He looks confused and I can’t blame him, but I can’t explain it either.We finish eatin
76 - RykerI have never cared before now. I shouldn’t care. But I keep my insecurities at the way she asked the question to myself. I have a bad habit of misunderstanding her intentions. I haven’t learned to read her emotions the way Bennet, and now Danny, do. I just watch her looking at me, in wonder I think. Or maybe it’s confusion, disbelief. I’m not sure. One thing I know is, I can’t stop touching her. Running my fingers through her hair, caressing her cheek, her arms, the inch of bare skin at her waist where her shirt rode up.I saved myself for my mate. It is probably the one thing that my wolf and I agreed on. We saved everything binding for our mate. I don’t regret it, can’t regret it. It was the most incredible experience for me. And it was only a kiss. Far more thrilling than my first shift or even my first kill in a fight. This woman in my arms has brought me to life. I had no idea I could feel…like this. My heart is still racing and the electricity is still flow
31 - GretaWalking down the hall, I hear Landon and Ryker. “Yeah, we don’t know what happened exactly. The fire was just too big and everyone was running around. Peyton and I were at training and someone came in and yelled ‘FIRE’ then all the kids went crazy. Peyton and I ran together, cause we’re neighbors but the wind was too bad and there were sparks everywhere. I got burned on the arm and she told me we can’t search anymore. We told you how we found Gabriel and Trinity. Do you think that our parents are still alive?” I finally hear a whisper of the little boy he is in the question.“I hope so buddy. But you are here now and you can stay as long as you want to. In the morning I’ll have my guys start looking into your pack’s situation, now that we have an idea of what happened. You have done a great job protecting your pack. Your parents and your alpha will be so proud.”“Speaking of the littles,” I step into Bennet’s room where they are sitting on the bed. They both look over a
30 - GretaThis little doll of a girl is wrapped in Finn’s arms like a koala. She tucks her face back under Finn’s chin so she can look at me while maintaining full contact with him. Her posture is shy, but the look in her eye is most definitely not. It is almost territorial. My wolf grumbles in my head before I remind her that this baby has been through a lot and isn’t a threat. But she knows my name. That is interesting.“Oh! I am so excited to see you all!” Kennedy gushes unable to help herself. “Are you hungry? Samuel said you hunted before you left your camp. Or are you tired? We’re going to set you up here with us tonight.”“I’m hungry!” The youngest boy says and we all laugh.“Gabriel, you’re always hungry.” The oldest girl laughs at him.“Well Gabriel, you are in luck, I just had the fridge stocked. I’m always hungry too.” Kennedy giggles, patting her stomach. “Let’s get a snack and then you can all get cleaned up and in bed. Sound good?” She reaches her hand out to him. H
29 - FinnI give her fingers a squeeze and shift to follow Landon and Gabriel to get water. I lose count of how many trips we make, but Landon is smart and kept them close to a stream so it wasn’t terrible. Seth and Sameul talk the kids through what they do to process the deer and how we use everything. Nothing goes to waste. We eat and use the deer skin to hold what we don’t consume. Trinity doesn’t leave my side and only breaks contact to eat. Her cute little hand is wrapped around my pinky finger and her warm body is pressed up into my side.All the kids are fascinated with the whole food prep process, asking question after question to Seth as he cooks and hands off finished pieces of meat. After, we all wash off in the stream and head back to sit around the fire, talking comfortably. “You know you remind me of a friend of mine.” I tell Trinity.“I do? Who?” She has gotten more confident around us, but her voice is still strong, but shy.“Her name is Greta and your hair is almos
28 - FinnHe pads over to the opening and crawls in. I can hear muffled talking, but I don’t try to listen in. If she’s younger than Gabriel, she’s just a baby and I have no idea where her mind might be at. Other than my friends we never came across too many pups in our journey and I always thought that was because situations like Sammmy’s and mine were a fluke. But after seeing these kids, I wonder if it’s because they didn’t survive long enough to get help.I hear a little squeak behind me as Gabriel sits next to me. When I turn he shrugs his shoulders. I guess that means I’m up. I chance a slight look and my breath catches. This tiny little thing is huddled in a ball next to the opening, staring right back at me. Her body language says she’s afraid, but her eyes tell me a different story. She has piercing green eyes that are hard and fierce. Her look is almost a dare to go over there and see what she’ll do to me.I keep my ass on the ground and lift my hand in a wave. “Hi.” I say
27 - FinnI hear a grumbled ‘jackass’ from one of them. I try to fight a smile, kind of. “The Luna said you need help, what can I do? The Alpha is already planning how to remove my head from my body for leaving my partner alone to defend the Luna…”“WHAT!?! Why in the hell would you leave her?” The bulkier of the two warriors steps towards me.I throw my hands up. “Because SHE had a pregnant tantrum about rescuing these kids! I chose to piss off the lesser of the two evils! Have either of you dealt with a pregnant she wolf?” Both males stop in their tracks and share a look before laughing. “Wait. What’d I miss?”“I take it you don’t have kids?” Lean man asks.“No?” “The Luna is intense on her own, the hormones are making it tenfold. The name’s Samuel.” The larger built warrior says extending his hand to me. I shake it, a little confused. “Finn, nice to meet you I guess.” That’s it? All I had to do was tell them their Luna scared the crap out of me and they decide I’m not a threat?
26 - FinnWe can’t catch a break. Every time I get Greta to talk to me about this whole mate thing, something interrupts. Neither of us is stupid enough to go against our very pregnant luna though.“What’s up Boss lady?” Greta puffs out. Even she isn’t immune to these f*cking stairs.“Samuel and Seth found some abandoned pups on the border.” She screeches.“I don’t understand.” I step forward, but stay behind Greta’s shoulder. I haven’t been around many pregnant she-wolves, but I have heard they can go from sweet to violent in a blink and Kennedy is still getting used to the heightened emotions of her wolf. She’s less likely to hurt Greta in this situation.“They need your help! What’s not to understand?!” She’s frantically running her fingers through her hair, pacing and I am at a loss. I look sideways at my mate. Greta’s glassy eyed, meaning she’s hopefully getting some insight from the alpha.“Luna…LUNA!” She finally looks at me. “Can you give me more details? Are they being c
25 - FinnDeal. That’s all we were told, to deal. I am now stuck here, for who knows how long with her. I can’t deal witht this right now, I have to get out of here.“I’m going to go look around.” I drop my bag and scurry to the door.“Finn, wait..”I don’t hear anything else she says as I spring like a coward down the hall, down the stairs, past a confused Kennedy and out to the massive patio. I’m panting, my lungs won’t take in air. I can’t do this. I can’t be around her. Her scent in the car was difficult enough to deal with. I am the most relaxed and at the same time the most tense than I have been in weeks.“You need to calm down. This is a good thing.”“How can it be a good thing?! I was just getting used to not being around her.”“You get another shot, that’s why it’s a good thing!”“I don’t want it. She doesn’t want me. I am a rogue with nothing. Just let me reject her and we can move on. The rest of our group is settled and Ryker is going to make them all pack soon.”“NO!
24 - FinnI slide out of the SUV looking around. This feels like a trap, and yet none of the usual alarms are going off in my head. My wolf and I have established a decent radar for bad situations. Avoiding them is our top priority. I’m not sure what it is about Kennedy and Ryker, but I have not had one single instance of distrust with either of them the entire time we have been in the Dark Moon pack.“Greta! Finn!” I whip around to see Kennedy at the top of a ridiculously tall staircase. “Well, don’t just stand there, come on!” She waves us up excitedly.It’s almost strange to have someone excited to see me. Nan was it, as far as I can remember, other than the pups at Dark Moon. But, they are excited to see most people, so they don’t really count. I always have Sammy and some of the other guys. We fight side by side and hope each one makes it out alive. We have had to leave guys behind and move forward, move on to the next location. I couldn’t tell you where we laid those people to
23 - GretaI sit and stare at the door for a long while. There’s no sound on the other side. He’s not showering or anything, just waiting for me to leave. I should feel relieved. He told me to go and I wish I could make my body do just that, but I’m locked here in place, my wolf is willing him to come out. His wolf is blocking her and I can feel her heartbreak. Something’s changed and she’s hurting. Add it to the list of things for me to feel guilty about.I stand, frustrated, and take a deep breath of his lingering scent, then get an idea. I run my hands on the pillows and blankets. Anything soft in this room I touch. At the very least, maybe he will sleep okay tonight. I need to talk to Kennedy, this is something I don’t know how to navigate. I still don’t want a mate. It’s not fair to Finn that I am broken and can’t be fixed. I don’t like the idea of him hurting over it either._It has been weeks and FInn is nowhere in sight. I can feel him when he’s near, but he is avoiding m